After watching Carissa Moore win the season opening Roxy Pro Gold Coast, we knew this day would come. While the other girls were surfing extremely well, Carissa was simply better. We said it then, her performance was groundbreaking and she could have waxed a few of the guys on tour that day. A World Title seemed imminent, but when I interviewed her after the win at Snapper she dismissed the notion.

While Carissa never finished below the runner up position all year (an amazing feat in itself) that’s not to say her maiden World Title came easily—her main rival (and close friend) Sally Fitzgibbons, put up a hell of a fight, winning two events in a row, but just this morning in France the Aussie was unable to get past Stephanie Gilmore in the semifinals of the Roxy Pro. It’s ironic that Stephanie, who’s had the women’s World Title on lockdown for the last couple of years, was the one to hand Carissa her World Title.

Congratulations Carissa! The world of women’s surfing is making he strides and we couldn’t think of a better girl to represent that movement! See below for quotes from Carissa…

-“I dreamed of surfing at this level my whole life since I was a little kid and I don’t think you can ever expect or anticipate the feeling.”

-“I’m not really feeling anything right now I’m just so happy.”

-“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time—since I was a little girl—and just to be here right now and being world champ is pretty crazy.”

-“I have had this goal written on my door and it has been waiting there for a long time to be ticked off so I can’t wait to go home and cross it out.”

-“I definitely first and foremost want to thank my little sister Cayla, thank you so much—I wouldn’t be here without you.”

-“My Dad has been here every step of the way and I could not have done this without him. It is so much sweeter having him part of my team.”

-“I want to thank my sponsors Nike, Target and Red Bull I couldn’t do it without them. My family, my uncles and aunts and my grandparents.”